Hosta plant named ‘Blue Ivory’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Hosta  plant named ‘Blue Ivory’ characterized by elliptic to cordate leaves having wide light creamy-colored margins and blue-green centers, vertical flower scapes with medium lavender flowers above foliage, suitable for landscape, potted culture, or cut flower arrangements.

Botanical classification: Hosta sp.

Variety denomination: ‘Blue Ivory’.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PLANTS

The most similar known hosta cultivars are: ‘First Frost’ (notpatented). ‘El Niño’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,632), ‘Sleeping Beauty’(not patented), ‘Aristocrat’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,286), and‘Tambourine’ (not patented). H. ‘First Frost’, ‘El Niño’, and ‘SleepingBeauty’ are all cream to white margined sports of ‘Halcyon’, however‘Blue Ivory’ has a margin nearly twice as wide. ‘Blue Ivory’ also iswhiter in the margin than ‘First Frost’. ‘Aristocrat’ has more cordateor rounded leaves with thinner margins, and tends to be shorter habit.‘Tambourine’ is an offspring of ‘Halcyon’ with a narrower more yellowcreamy margin, has darker purple flowers, is slightly larger in habitand has more green and less blue leaf centers than ‘Blue Ivory’.

BACKGROUND AND ORIGIN OF THE PLANT

The present invention relates to the new and distinct hosta plant,Hosta, ‘Blue Ivory’ discovered by William J. Meyer in the summer of 2003at a nursery in Eastern Connecticut. The plant is an un-induced wholeplant sport of the Hosta cultivar ‘Halcyon’ (not patented). ‘Halcyon’was a first generation cross of Hosta tardiflora×Hosta sieboldiana(Tardiana Group) by Eric Smith, of England. The plant has beensuccessfully propagated by tissue culture methods at a plant nursery inRijswik, The Netherlands and found to produce identical plants thatmaintain the unique characteristics of the original plant. The plant isstable and reproduces true to type in successive generations of asexualreproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Hosta ‘Blue Ivory’ differs from its parent, ‘Halcyon’, as well as allother hostas known to the applicant, in that the plant has a very widevariegated leaf margin that emerges pale yellow to cream in the springand with sunlight and warmer temperatures lightens to a white with anoccasional slight frosting of green in some areas of the white margin.The leaf center is a blue green. There are over 3,600 cultivarsregistered with The American Hosta Society, which is the InternationalCultivar Registration Authority for the genus Hosta. Hosta ‘Blue Ivory’differs from these and all unregistered cultivars known to the inventorin that it has:

-   -   1. Intense, long-lasting blue green foliage margined with a very        wide creamy white border;    -   2. Compact habit, medium sized clumps with flower scapes above        foliage enough for each medium lavender flower to be effectively        displayed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the overall appearance ofthe plant, including the unique traits. The colors are as accurate asreasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum,source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation incolor.

FIG. 1 shows the foliage early in the season in Rijswik, Netherlands.

FIG. 2 shows the foliage in mid July in Willingboro, N.J., USA.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2001edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except wherecommon dictionary terms are used. The new plant, Hosta ‘Blue Ivory’ hasnot been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype mayvary slightly with different environmental conditions, such astemperature, light, fertility, moisture and maturity levels, but withoutany change in the genotype. The following observations and sizedescriptions are of a two-year old plant in a garden in Willingboro,N.J. under open high tree shade canopy with supplemental water andfertilizer.

-   Botanical classification: Hosta sp.-   Parentage: Naturally occurring sport of Hosta ‘Halcyon’ (not    patented).    -   -   Propagation method.—By sterile laboratory tissue culture            division and garden division.        -   Time to initiate roots from tissue culture.—about three            weeks.        -   Rooting habit.—Normal, fleshy, lightly branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant shape and habit.—Hardy herbaceous perennial with basal            rosette leaves, symmetrical and arching over, spreading by            rhizomes.        -   Crop time.—Summer growing 15 to 20 weeks to finish in a            one-liter container; vigor is good.        -   Plant size.—foliage height at flowering is about 25 cm tall            from soil line to the top of the leaves and about 30 cm wide            at soil line.-   Foliage description: Elliptic to cordate leaf blades 12 to 16 cm    long, 7 to 8 cm wide, average 14 cm long by 7 cm wide, symmetrical;    acute apex and rounded base; entire margin; variegation pattern on    the white edge varies in different regions of the leaf from 5 to 25    mm wide, average of 20 mm; 9 to 11 pairs of major parallel veins;    top surface is smooth except for slight indentations for major    veins, dull with heavy glaucous bloom, and bottom surface also is    dull and has heavy glaucous bloom; petiole 10 to 14 cm long, 7 to 10    mm wide, average 12 cm long and 9 cm wide.    -   -   Blade color of young emerging leaf.—adaxial (top) margin:            between RHS 4B and RHS 4C; center RHS 141B; abaxial            (underside) margin: RHS 4C; center RHS 141B or RHS 141C;            some intermediate colors on top and bottom with the major            portion between RHS N 144A and RHS N144C.        -   Blade color of mature leaves.—adaxial (top) center. RHS            122A; margin: near white, lighter than RHS 155D with            occasional green frosting mixed with white of RHS 138B and            RHS 141C; the major intermediate portions are RHS 144C and            RHS 122C; abaxial (underside) center: between RHS 122A and            RHS 119A; margin near white, whiter than RHS 155D. Veins            color is the same as the surrounding leaf tissue on both the            top and bottom of the leaf in the margins and slightly            lighter in the center.        -   Petioles.—15 to 20 cm long and 10 to 14 mm wide. The leaf            margin continues down the petiole 1 to 2 mm wide and RHS 4 C            on young foliage on both top and back, and center is nearest            RHS 145 A on both surfaces. On older foliage the petiole            margin of both surfaces is RHS 4 D, and the center gradually            lightens on both surfaces going toward middle to RHS 119 C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Buds.—One day prior to opening between RHS 76B and RHS 76 C;            approximately 4.5 cm long, up to 1.5 cm wide, clavate with            acute apex and longer thin base.        -   Flowers.—20 to 28 per scape; funnelform; 2.5 to 2.8 cm wide            and 4.5 to 5.0 cm long, (distal flowers being smaller),            persists for a normal period, usually one day on or cut from            plant; scapes remain effective from mid July into mid            August; no detectable fragrance.        -   Tepal.—Two sets of three fused at the base; clavate with            acute apex; entire; approximately 4 cm long and 1.4 cm wide;            coloring of both sets identical; RHS 76 C on the outside;            inside between RHS 77 C and RHS 77D. Both sets of tepals            have white margins on entire inside.        -   Gynoecium.—Single; Style — 5.5 to 5.8 cm long, white, 1 mm            diameter, curled at distal end, Stigma — 1 mm to 2 mm in            diameter, white.        -   Androecium.—Filaments — six, white, less than 1 mm in            diameter and 5.0 cm long; Anthers — 4 mm long, 1.0 mm wide,            RHS 79 A.        -   Pollen.—Elliptical, less than 0.1 mm long, nearest RHS 15 A.        -   Bracts.—Lower bracts before flowers sessile with acute apex,            protruding upward about 30 degree angle away from scape;            lowest up to 4 cm long and 1.5 cm wide before first flower,            center RHS 143 C, with the margin near white; bracts            subtending flowers protrude less than 90 degrees; initial            bracts about 3.0 to 4.0 cm long and 1.0 cm wide, center RHS            145 B, margin RHS N138 B with frosting of RHS 186 B            throughout.        -   Peduncle.—One per mature division; glaucous, erect 35 to 45            cm tall, and up to 8 mm in diameter, light bluish green            color RHS 119 B mid section and lightening to RHS N138 D.        -   Pedicel.—Approximately 0.6 cm long, 2 mm wide, RHS 138 C.        -   Fruit and seed.—Have not yet been observed.-   Disease resistance: Resistance beyond that of other hostas has not    been observed. The plant grows best with plenty of moisture and    adequate drainage, but is able to tolerate some drought when mature.    Hardiness at least from USDA zone 3 through 9, and other disease    resistance is typical of that of other hostas.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental Hosta plant named ‘BlueIvory’ as herein described and illustrated, with elliptic to cordateleaves having wide light creamy-colored margins and blue-green centers,suitable as a potted plant, for the garden, and for cut flowerarrangements.